There’s rarely a mention of Champ Bailey that doesn’t include Jan. 14, 2006.
In the third quarter of the Broncos’ divisional playoff game against the defending-champion Patriots, on a third-and-goal and ran it back 103 yards before being knocked out of bounds by Ben Watson at New England’s 1-yard line.
Bailey’s interception return was the longest nonscoring play in postseason history and it set up a touchdown by Mike Anderson that extended Denver’s lead, 17-6.
“It was a great play by me,” Bailey said afterward.
The Broncos’ defense forced five turnovers that led to 24 points in the 27-13 victory, which snapped the Patriots’ 10-game playoff win streak.
But the celebration in Denver was short-lived. The Broncos went on to lose to the Steelers, 34-17, in the AFC Championship game. The Steelers, of course, went on to defeat Seattle, 21-10, in Super Bowl XL.
